the_old_worldfandomcom-20200214-history
Tyrrhos
'Tyrrhos '''is an island in the Tomyrian Sea and one of the two islands incorporated into the Twin Principalities. It is located southeast of Neuphany and over one thousand miles from the Greater Yuron. A single chain of mountains makes up two-thirds of the island. While its two fiefdoms are considered part of the greater Nine Fiefdoms belonging to Darcedon, Tyrrhos actually belongs to the Bank of Mandolin, with certain privileges sold to Darcedon. As a territorial collectivity, Tyrrhos enjoys a greater degree of autonomy than other Darcedonian regions; for example, Tyrrhos is able to exercise limited executive powers and disallows foreign military on its soil, including Darcedon's army. Tyrrhos is divided into two fiefdoms, ''Shashania (literally "Shadow of the Mountain") and Tiberia (literally "The Great Divide"). Both fiefdoms are considered incorporated with Neuphany's collective economic zone. After being ruled by various kings and empires, Tyrrhos was briefly independent until it was the subject of centuries of war over its rights and administration. It was officially ceded by the Republic of Pria to The Republic of Cyravest, contested by Darcedon, and later given to the Bank of Mandolin as invested property. Due to Tyrrhos' historical ties with both Neuphany and Prace, the island retains to this day many of its cultural elements. Tyrrhos has its own dialect for the Common tongue, and most of its citizens are multilingual based on their location. History Main article: History of Tyrrhos Prehistory and antiquity The origin of the name Tyrrhos is subject to much debate and remains a mystery. To the Ancient Hellastians, it was known as Kastrel, mentioned multiple times in various forms in the epic Madelian, but was later exclusively referenced as Tyrrhos. It is believed to be derived from the Tirahni people, but little is certain. Tyrrhos has been occupied continuously since the Era of Preliturgy. It acquired an indigenous population, likely from Prodavas, that was influential in the Tomyrian during its long prehistory, namely the Tirahni and Sasceri. After a brief occupation by the Perths, colonization by the ancient Hellastians, and an only slightly longer occupation by the Tuscs, it was incorporated by the Dinamid Republic at the end of the First Perthic War and, with Neuphany, in 140 NCE, became a province of the Dinamid Republic. The Dinamians, who built a colony in Port Bruche, considered Tyrrhos as one of the most backward regions of all of Dinam. The island produced sheep, honey, resin and wax, and exported many slaves, not well considered because of their fierce and rebellious character. Moreover, it was known for its cheap wines, exported to Lenorum, and was used as place of relegation, one of the most famous exiles being the Dinamian philosopher Edica. Administratively, the island was divided into pievas, which in the Mythic Ages became fiefdoms, the basic administrative units of the island even today. During the diffusion of the Saclis mystery, which arrived quite early from Lenorum and Greater Yuron harbors, Tyrrhos was home to many martyrs and saints: among them, the most important are Saint Lancel and Saint Janus, both patrons of the island. Tyrrhos was integrated by Emperor Persipitus (r. CE 202-222) in Dinamid Merovia. The Mythic Ages and the Modern Era In the Seventh Era, the Dinamid Empire collapsed, and the island was invaded by the Falians and the Fabians. Briefly recovered by the Ascani, it soon became part of the Kingdom of Rone. This made it a dependency of the March of Manamas, which used it as an outpost against the Auber. Calin the Bald, king of Merovia and Robaerigon's father, expelled the Rones and nominally granted Tyrrhos to High Pontiff Velzar. In the first quarter of the Thirteenth Century, Pria and Cyravest together freed the island from the threat of Auber invasion. After that, the island came under the influence of the Republic of Pria. To this period belong the many polychrome churches which adorn the island, and Tyrrhos also experienced a massive immigration from the Greater Yuron, which gave to the island its present toponymy and rendered the language spoken in the northern two-thirds of the island very close to the Tusc Language. Due to that, then began also the traditional division of Tyrrhos in two parts, along the main chain of mountains roughly going from Galvanis to Port Bruche: the eastern Great Divide, Tiberia, which is more populated, evolved and open to the commerce with the Greater Yuron; and the western Shadow of the Mountain, Shashania, which is almost deserted, wild and remote. Tomyrian pirates frequently attacked Tyrrhos, especially those from Fyruse, resulting in many Cyravine towers being erected. The crushing defeat experienced by Pria in CE 799 in the Battle of Eloria against Cyravest had among its consequences the end of the Pri rule and the beginning of the Cyravine influence in Tyrrhos: this was contested much later by the King of Darcedon, who in CE 880 had received from the High Pontiff the investiture over Neuphany and Tyrrhos. A popular revolution against this and the feudal lords, led by Strauss of Arlando, received the aid of Cyravest. After that, the Great Divide was ruled by a league of monks called the Hanzonori. The following century was a period of conflict, when the Cyravine rule was contested by Darcedon, the local lords, the Hanzonori, and the High Pontiff: finally, in CE 973, Cyravest ceded the administration of the island to its main bank, owned by the Mandolin dynasty, which brought peace. Modern Age With the world approaching the Fourteenth Era, the mysterious Astral Plague, academically known as piaga del luna, began to spread and ravage the Greater Yuron and beyond, driving a significant number of nobles, artists, and scholars into Neuphany. In CE 984, the King of Darcedon Roland the Niocletian himself traveled to Neuphany, to the north. Darcedon had mostly been wiped out by the Astral Plague, and thus no further vessels were permitted to dock in the harbors of either province. The migrants who traveled to Neuphany and Tyrrhos took great interest in the local arts and artifacts, and the thriving culture and learning of the principalities. This has led into a rebirth of knowledge and artistry in modern day, and many contemporary authors has documented this as the dawn of the so-called "Modern Age". Geography Tyrrhos was formed about 250 million years ago with the uplift of a granite backbone on the western side. About 50 million years ago, sedimentary rock was pressed against this granite, forming the schists of the eastern side. It is the most mountainous island in the Tomyrian, a "mountain in the sea". It is also the second largest island in the Tomyrian, runner-up only to Neuphany. It is 114 mi long at its longest stretch, 54 mi wide at its widest breadth, and has 611 mi of coastline. Tyrrhos is very mountainous, with Calcanem as the highest peak at 8,978 ft and around 120 other summits of more than 6,600 ft. Mountains comprise two-thirds of the island, forming a single chain. Forests make up a fifth of the island. About 1,400 sq mi of the total surface area of 3,440 sq mi is open, untamed wilderness. Tyrrhos is quite remote in the Tomyrian Sea, as it is at least 1,160 miles at its closest point to the Greater Yuron. It is separated from Neuphany to the north by the Strait of Eurastus, which is a minimum of six miles wide. Climate Under a dry, windswept sky, coastal regions are characterized by a hot-summer Tomyrian climate. Further inland, a warm-summer climate is more common. At the highest elevation locations, small areas with a subarctic climate and the rare cold-summer climate can be found. The Hanza Calculators record the highest year-round temperatures, with an annual average of 78 °F since CE 979. They also estimate that the sun shines over a clear sky more than three hundred days of the year.